Love and Chocolate
by Herochick007
Summary: A marriage law, a surprise heritage, and a werewolf, how complicated can things get for Hermione Granger when she returns for her 8th year at Hogwarts? A gift fic for Viola ( ViolaMoon)


**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters.**

**This is a gift fic for Viola on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry forum**

**Happy Birthday Viola! **

**Word count: 2558**

"What's that?" Ron asked as an owl landed in front of Hermione. She glared at the beast for a moment before reaching out and taking the letter from its leg. The pair was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Dinner had just started.

"It's an owl obviously," she stated resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Her and Ron had returned to Hogwarts to complete their last year. Her because she wanted to, and him because he had been required to in order to fulfill the requirements for the Auror Academy. Harry had gotten a pass because he sat the N.E. and passed them.

"I know that, 'Mione. What's it say?" She ignored him and kept reading the letter. Her eyes widened.

"The marriage law passed," she whispered. Ron nodded.

"I know, Percy wrote me about saying how I needed to make sure to ask you to marry me."

"How chilverious him," she muttered. "It doesn't matter, you can't marry me, Ron."

"What? Why not?"

"Because, pure blood can't marry pure blood," she whispered.

"What? You're a Muggle-born!"

"Apparently not, Ron. Remember those blood spells they did on us after the war?"

"Yeah? What about them?"

"There was an anomaly in mine, the healer said they needed to do further tests. They finally have the results. I'm a pure blood, same as you," she whispered. "I'm required to marry a half blood or a Muggle-born in order to diversify bloodlines."

"That's not possible! Who are your parents, what line?" Ron demanded attracting the attention of some of the other students. Hermione glared at him.

"Nott, I'm a Nott," she answered. "I apparently have a brother named Theo, I think I remember him from school, he was in our year, wasn't he?" Ron nodded slowly.

"So, I can't marry you. You can just marry Harry, that way you'll still be part of the family." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I don't love Harry and besides, Ginny would kill me in my sleep if I stole her boyfriend."

"Oh, right, forgot about that," Ron muttered. Ginny, who happened to be sitting a few seats down from them shot a hex at his head. She missed, but only by a fraction.

"Oi!"

"Next time, I'm hitting you," Ginny called causing Hermione to laugh.

"If you can't marry Harry, or me, then who?" Ron asked. "You've got to find someone before they assign you someone. They might put you with someone horrid!"

"I know. There has to be some way out of this, I mean, I didn't even know my status until today. What if we had already gotten married, maybe we should have," she grumbled. Ron took her hand, but she pulled it away.

"I can't, Ron. Not right now. Just, I can't," she whispered rushing from the room. Ron stared at her as she left and sighed. He was under the same pressure to find someone to marry as her.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Hermione sat on the edge of the step, her eyes filled with tears. Nothing this year seemed to be going quite right. She was just here to finish her education and then, she didn't even know what she wanted to do with her life. She buried her face in her hands trying to figure out what she was going to do now. She couldn't marry Ron, not that she really wanted to. It had just been a way around the stupid marriage law. Now the whole thing was just a mess and she wasn't even who she thought she was.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice asked.

"Go ahead," she answered not even moving her hands to see who was speaking.

"Thank you. Having a pity party?"

"A bit," she said finally raising her head. "Oh, Professor Lupin, I'm sorry!" Remus Lupin had returned to teach at Hogwarts after surviving the war.

"Don't be, Miss Granger. Here, have a chocolate bar, it might not make it all better, but it will help some," he said pulling a bar of chocolate from his jacket. She took it.

"Thank you, why would you want to join my pity party, sir?"

"Because I'm throwing one of my own," he answered.

"May I ask why?"

"Most likely the same reason you are, Miss Granger. The marriage law."

"I found out I'm a pureblood," Hermione blurted out. "I can't marry Ron to escape the blasted thing. Wait, you were married! You mean, so soon after Tonks... you really have to marry again?"

"Yes. Same as you I have to marry within the year. I mean, Teddy needs a mum, but, I'm not ready. I will never be ready. What kind of witch would want to marry a man who might never love her, and is a werewolf on top of things?"

"If he were a good man..." Hermione's voice trailed off.

"And is a single parent?" Remus added.

"Teddy's adorable, sir. Any witch would love be his mum. He's so sweet, what color is his hair this week?"

"Red, if you can believe it. He looked like a Weasley," Remus commented causing Hermione to laugh.

"You wouldn't happen to have a photo would you?"

"No, unfortunately not. You'd better head back to your dorm, Miss Granger. It'll be after hours soon and I don't want to have to give you detention for cheering an old man up."

"You're not old sir, and please, I'm not in your class, call me Hermione please."

"Alright, Hermione, thank you for listening."

"Same, oh, and thank you for the chocolate," she said with a smile before darting off down the hall towards Gryffindor Tower. Remus watched her leave and slowly smiled. For the first time, since Tonks had died, a small bit of something sparked in his heart. It wasn't big enough for him to realize, but he felt a smidge happier.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It had been nearly two weeks since she'd run into Professor Lupin the abandoned stairwell. Hermione still was searching for someone to marry, someone who wouldn't just use her new found status as a stepping stone for themselves. Someone who was kind, someone who would like her for who she was. She wasn't expecting love. Not with this stupid law and the insane time line it imposed.

"Miss Granger!"

"It's Hermione, sir, remember?"

"Right, Hermione. Look, Teddy rolled over!" Remus exclaimed pulling out a photograph of a blue haired baby rolling around on the floor. Hermione giggled watching him.

"Who watches him while you're working?" she asked.

"Andi does sometimes, sometimes Harry when his work schedule permits, once in awhile one of the other professors. Professor McGonagall is fond of him. I don't know who's going watching him this afternoon, though. I've got a class, she's filling in for Professor Flitwick, Andi's out of town..."

"I could watch him. I don't have any classes this afternoon," she offered.

"Really? You'd watch him for me?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you, Hermione. I'll meet you in my office at two, and take you to Teddy's chambers."

"That sounds perfect. I'd better get to class, I'll see you then, sir," she smiled heading towards her next class. She was still smiling three hours later when she headed to lunch.

Ron and Ginny glanced over at Hermione.

"She's found someone," Ginny stated.

"Who?"

"Hermione. She's found someone, look at her. She's smiling, humming, she's in love," Ginny sighed. Ron glared at both of them. Hermione blinked staring at her former boyfriend.

"What? Did I do something?"

"No," he snapped turning his attention back to his lunch. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"He's jealous you've found someone, Hermione. Who is he?"

"Who?"

"The guy you're in love with!"

"I'm not in love with anyone," Hermione argued staring at Ginny in disbelief.

"Fine, I'll find out one way or another, just make sure I get in invite to the wedding," Hermione nodded.

"Sure, if I find someone who wants to marry the newest heir to the Nott family fortune, I'll invite you to the wedding," she answered. Ginny laughed.

"Yes, you will," she agreed still not backing down from her observation and appropriate assumption that Hermione Granger was, in fact, in love.

Lunch ended and Hermione got a head start on her homework before heading to Professor Lupin's office. The door was closed when she arrived. She knocked loudly.

"Enter," Professor Lupin called. Hermione smiled turning the knob and stepping into the room. "Hermione, great, right on time. Let's go," he said grabbing his briefcase. Hermione recognized it as the same one he'd had in third year.

"You seem a bit frazzled sir, if you don't mind me saying."

"I got a letter from the ministry about the stupid law, moving up when I must marry by. Apparently, being a werewolf makes it dangerous for me to be alone. If I don't... they'll find someone else to raise Teddy." Hermione gasped.

"How long do you have?" she asked as the pair walked to the staff living area.

"The end of the month. I need to find a witch to marry me by the end of the month, or I'll lose my son."

"Remus, I'm sorry."

"I'm going to a hearing to try and get them to give me an extension, but I doubt it. Here we are, these are my chambers," he said pushing open a heavy wooden door. "Hello, Hannah."

"Professor Lupin, he's sound asleep at the moment. I fed him about an hour ago, so he'll probably be hungry in a bit," Hannah Abbott stated. "Oh, hi, Hermione. You're taking over for me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Thank you! I have an exam in healing this afternoon."

"Good luck, Hannah."

"Thank you, see you in class tomorrow, Professor." Hannah slipped from the room.

"Well, wish me luck at this hearing, Hermione. I need all the luck I can get."

"Good luck, sir," Hermione stated. She watched Remus leave and once he was gone, she walked over to the crib and peered at the sleeping infant. Teddy stirred in his sleep slightly, but didn't wake. Hermione flopped down in one of the chairs and pulled out her book. Less than a minute later she gave up on reading. What the ministry was doing to Remus was horrible. There had to be a way, a loophole, something she could do to help him. She walked over to his bookshelf and smiled seeing some of her favorites. No, now wasn't the time for that. She read over the titles until she found a few books about werewolves, and the laws surrounding them. She pulled out a sheet of parchment and started working. She'd been researching for an hour when Teddy woke. He wailed until Hermione scooped him up in her arms.

"Hello there, little man," she whispered quickly changing his wet nappie and getting him a bottle. Teddy blinked at her, but happily started eating. His hair turned a shade of brown close to hers causing her to smile. In the back of her mind, a plan was forming, a plan she wasn't aware even existed at the moment, a plan that could save both of them. As Teddy ate, Hermione sat back down, holding him in her lap as she continued to work. Once he had finished, she burped him and rocked him gently.

"You are such a cute little boy, you take after your daddy, you know that?" Teddy cooed loudly and snuggled against Hermione.

"We'll figure out a way to keep the two of you together, won't we?" she asked asked. Slowly the afternoon passed into evening and Remus still hadn't returned. Hermione started to worry slightly, but didn't show it. Teddy grew bored with reading and researching so Hermione had started playing peek a boo with him. Finally the baby yawned and Hermione picked up and sat in the rocking chair with him, rocking slowly. Teddy curled against her.

"I am going to figure it out, little man," she promised. "Want to hear a song? Does your daddy sing to you?" she asked. She couldn't remember ever hearing Professor Lupin sing. That didn't mean he didn't. Slowly, she started singing a lullaby her mum had sung her when she'd been a baby. Teddy yawned showing his one tooth and soon fell asleep on top of Hermione's chest. She smiled looking down at the baby. She didn't want to move in case she woke him.

"Accio book," she whispered calling her reading book to her. She read a few chapter before her own eyelids started to droop and she fell asleep holding Teddy.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Remus rushed up the stairs, tripping over his own feet at least once. He couldn't believe how late it was. Hermione must be going crazy worrying about him. He only hoped Teddy was asleep for the night. He hadn't meant to leave them, but the hearing had gone long, then he'd lost, then he'd done something stupid involving a little bit too much to drink.

"Hermione! I'm sorry," he said pushing the door open. Hermione stirred slightly and Remus realized her and his son were sound asleep. He sighed in relief. They were fine, they were both fine. He wondered for the briefest second why he'd been worried about Hermione, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He gently picked up Teddy and put him in his crib. Hermione stirred opening her eyes.

"Oh, you're back, sir," she stated looking up at him. She blinked and sighed. "It didn't work, did it?"

"No."

"Can you appeal again? I did some research, but there's really nothing like this in any book I can find..." her voice trailed off as the idea spark in the back of her brain moved closer to the surface.

"No, I can not, Hermione. Thank you for watching Teddy. His hair matches yours," he commented with a smile. The spark in his heart flaring for a moment. He blinked suddenly staring at Hermione.

"It does," she agreed looking over at him. "Something wrong Remus?"

"No, well, yes, everything, but..."

"Remus, I'm sorry, I did everything I could to find something that might help you."

"I appreciate you trying, Hermione. It's more than anyone else would have done for me." Hermione's eyes widened.

"Wait... there is one more thing I could do. One more thing, I think, I should do. I don't know why we didn't think of this before, but... Remus Lupin, will you marry me in compliance with the marriage law?" she asked as if not believing the words spilling from her lips. "You're a half blood, I'm a pureblood, you need someone to help you with Teddy, I need... someone that doesn't care about my new found fortune."

"Hermione, you're rambling. Let me get a word in?" She nodded.

"Yes, Hermione Granger, I will marry you," Remus stated causing Hermione to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.

"We'll have to invite Ginny to the wedding, I promised," she said after a moment causing Remus to laugh.

"Very well, we'll make sure to invite her. Thank you, Hermione, for everything. I'm sorry I won't be able to love you how I should."

"I understand, she was an amazing witch and I hope I can live up to her."

"You're amazing too, and you will," Remus stated kissing her on the forehead sealing the proposal.


End file.
